George edwards



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE EDWARDS, OF NVORGESTER, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO I-IIMSELF AND GEORGE M. RICE, OF SAME PLACE.

VARIABLE-EXHAUST PIPE FOR STEAM-ENGINES.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 27,020, dated January 31, 1860.

To all whom it may cof/wem:

Be it known that I, GEO. EDWARDS, of I'Vorcester, in the county of lorcester and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and Improved Variable-Blast- Pipe for the Furnaces of Locomotive Steam-Engines, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making part of this specification, in which- Figure 1, is a view of the nozzle of a blast pipe with my improvements attached; Fig. 2, a longitudinal vertical section, and Fig. 3 a transverse vertical section through the same; Fig. 4, a view of one of the sections of the exhaust nozzle. j

The attempts heretofore made to vary the intensity of the exhaust of locomotive engines have thus far proved but partially successful. In most instances the nozzle has been of rectangular section thus giving the worst possible form of embouchure to the steam; and in all of them the parts have been so arranged as soon to become clogged by the concrete matter formed by the burning of the oil thrown out of the cylinder in connection with the ashes or cinders from the fire.

My invention has for its object to remedy these difficulties and consists in making the flaps or movable portions of the nozzle of a circular section or nearly so and sufficiently elastic to cause them to spring out against the sides of the containing case with which they are combined, so that they shall be enabled to scrape ofi the matter which would otherwise accumulate and obstructtheir motion.

To enable others skilled in the art to understand my invention I will proceed to describe the manner in which I have carried it out.

The exhaust pipe is surmounted by a box or case A, which incloses and surrounds the exhaust nozzle. The latter is made in two parts or flaps B B2, (one of which is seen detached in Fig. 4) which are hinged at f to the bottom of the box. These flaps B B2 are made of sheet metal, are of circular cross section or nearly so and sufficiently elastic to enable them to spring out or expand against the sides of the box A; they are also made conical that their inclined edges g may correspond with the pyramidal sides b of the case; the edges g are also chamfered that they may make a tight fit with the sides of the box, and also that they may remove any incrustation which may be formed thereon the elasticity or spring of the metal of which they are composed enabling them to slide over any such matter when they are drawn back or opened and to shear it off when they are closed or brought together again, the friction between the edge of the flaps and the box serving to keep these edges always sharp, and the joint between them and the box tight. Were these flaps cast rigidand without spring or elasticity they would soon become clogged by concrete matter, which might still form to solne extent, though not so rapidly as in those cases where the flaps or moving parts were exposed upon one side to the iniuence of the lire, for it is obvious that these flaps being surrounded on all sides by their containing case will be in a great measure protected from the effects of the lire.

To each of the two halves of the nozzle are jointed by means of an intermediate link m, an arm (D) attached to the shafts C, which are so connected by jointed levers t that they shall partake of each others motions.

I is a lever secured to one of the shafts C, which by means of suitable connecting rods is operated by the engineer, who is thus enabled to expand or contract his exhaust as required.

The motions of the iaps B B2 will keep as before explained the box clear of all obstructions along the joints g and the force of the blast will tend at all times to close the oint at this point and should any steam leak at this point or at z beneath the iaps of the nozzle, it will rise through the case A and serve to keep its interior free from cinders or other obstructions, while its force will all be available with the main body of the blast which rises through the interior of the conical nozzle. It will furthermore be observed that the above blast nozzle is free from the defects of the rectangular variable nozzles heretofore in use to some extent by which the force of the blast was greatly impaired-Fand also that it is not open to the objections to which those exl l l What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is-w The Within described expanding nozzle consisting of the elastic,V curved flaps B B2 in combination With the containing case A operating as set forth for the purpose `described. Y

GEO. EDVARDS.

' Witnesses:

THos. R. RoAcH, P. E. TESCHEMACHER. 

